Automobile radiator



F. M. OPITZ. AUTOMOBILE RADIATOR.

APPLICATION FILED MAY9.1919.

1 304,1 59, Patented Jan. 17, 192:2

law 5565; f 1 2/6/737 FRED M. OPITZ, OF RACINE, WISGQNSIII.

AUTOMOBILE RADIATOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed May 19, 1919. Serial 12 .0. 995,852.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRED M. Orrrz, a citi zen of the United States, residing at Racine, in the county of Racine and State of \Visconsin, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Automobile Radiators,

frame. The particular purpose of this new suspension is to prevent the transmission of injurious stresses from the automobile frame to the comparatively fragile radiator construction. The ordinary automobile "frame is subject to strains caused by the natural flexing and distortion of the frame resulting from the running of the car, and it isthe purpose of this new suspension to isolate the radiator from these strains by affording a yieldable support between the frame and radiator.

Another object of my invention is to pro vide an improved construction of header or Water box at the bottom of the radiator for co-operating wi h the novel form of suspen sion.

' Another object of my invention is to pro- Vide novel distributing means in the upper Water box for distributing the incoming heated water uniformly over the entire series of core interstices opening into the upper water box. In the ordinary form of adiator construction, there is a tendency for the middle core openings, which are situated immediately under the hot water intake, to receive the larger portion of the heated water as it is discharge'd'into the radiator, with the result that the circulation is mainly through the central portion of the core, thereby producing an uneven temperature distribution throughout the core'and a loss of efiicienoy. This is avoided through the use of my improved distributing means which equalizes the circulation throughout the entire radiator and avoids unequal heat ing thereof. 4 i

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a rear elevational view of a radiator embodying a preferred form of my invention;

Figure 2 ma fragmentary detail section of for absorbing the the lower water l igure 3 is a' the hue 3-3 of Figure 2;

. 1* igure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary sectiontahen on the line i-4 of Figure l;

ligure o is an enlarged transverse section tal en on the line 5-5 of Figure 1.

.ll e padrator 1 comprises the upper water box 2, rue lower water box 3, the side members .ir :i: and the core structure The cm'e struct-ure 5 may be of any preferred construction, struct t in accordance with the practice disclosed in my co-penduig application Serial umbcr 002" fil l J O a on, .c 1 ovembero 1.111. lhe upper water box 2 is provided with the usual tiller cap 6 and intake pipe 7. A outlet pipe 8 is attached to the lower water box 3 througlran angle plate 3) which is riveted to the side and bottom of the water box 3.

The radiator 1 l b r t s sung etn sea the side channels 11-11 ot the chass' frame. by susbox and suspension bracket; transversesection taken on pension brackets 1212 which extend down the channel. 11 to from the upper flange ot' a point beneath the water box 3. The pension brackets form the elastic susp s injurious stresses (.6 vcloped in the chassis frame and prevent their transmission to the relatively fra ile core structure 5. l1 find it preferable to make up these b *ackets of soft steel ings which ali'ord the desired degree of elasticity, but still have suflicient rigidity to prevent undue vibration of the radiator and to maintain it in its proper position.

Each of these brackets comprises the substantially vertical portion 12, the diagonal portion 12, and the two bolting extensions 12 and 12. The upper bolting extension 12 is slotted as indicated at 15 for the reception of the bolt 1% which ri idly clamps the extension 12 to the upper tiange of the channel 11. The slot 15 is provided to take care or" inaccuracies of alignment between the two holes in the extension 12 and channel ll.- The lower bolting extension 12 is secured to the underside the water box 3 by bolts 16 which tap into a block 17 in the interior of the water box. The arrangement of the block 17 secures a thoroughly watertight joint at this point, as I shall presently describe, The brackets 12 are substantially the same width as the radiator 1,

andthus secure a wide bearingengagement upon the upper flange of the channel 11 and upon the under side of the water box 3.

It will be noted that the long vertical portion, 12, being spaced from the side of the radiator 1, is free to flex laterally along its entire length, and thus can readily absorb any transverse vibration or motion of the channelll tending to close in upon or spread away from the side of the radiator 1, which would tend to create injurious stresses in the core structure 5. In the prior method of suspension wherein rigid bracket members support the radiator on the side channels, this. spreading and converging of the side channels is communicated directly to the cellular core structure 5 and is productive of leaks'therein by opening the seams of the thin sheet metal core structure.

The oblique portion 12 also has the utility of protecting the core structure by aiford- 1mg aspring slung suspension of the radiator. Vertical shocks are absorbed by the spring action of these oblique portions 12 which are spaced away from the oblique ends of the water box The lower water box 3 consists of a channel 18 provided with inturned-fianges 19 to which the front and rear edges of the core structure 5 are soldered. The ends of this channel are closed by an integral art of the bottom which is inclined upwar I as indicated at 21 to close the box. The end of the box is thus chaiiifered off to provide room for the oblique ortions 12 of the suspension bracket. l /iitrginal flanges 20 are turned up along the side edges of the inclined ends 21 and are soldered to the sides of the channel 18. The bolting blocks 17 which contact with the sides and the bottom of the channel 18 as shown in Figure 3 are riveted to the bottom of the'channel 18 .by rivets passing through base flanges on these blocks, as indicated at 22. A water tight strip 23, preferably of soft metal, is interposed between the block 17'and channel 18 to insure complete sealing of the rivet and screw holes in the channel 18. The screws 16 tap only part way into the bloc-ks l7 and are provided with spring Washers 24: to lock them in place.

Referring to the upper water box 2, it. will be iioted that I have provided a distributing channel 26 extending from end to end of the water box and provided with lateral flanges 27 for soldering to the top of the core structure The web of the channel 26 is provided with a series of apertures 28which have the action of distributing'the intake flow over the entire top of the core struc ture. thereby securing a uniform circulation across the width of the core. The apertur s 28 may be of uniform diam'eter or may be graduated from relatively small apertures at the center to ones of larger diameter at the, ends of the channel 26.

It will be apparent that I have pro ided an improved construction of automobile raspring I tions extending downwardly directly from spring suspension feature of my invention and the simplicity and low production cost of the radiator as a whole, renders the radiator of particular adaptability to Ford automobiles.

I claim: 1. In combination, a radiator water box,

' a pair of angle brackets having lower clamping portions clamped against the bottom of the box, vertical portions, intermediate connecting portions between the lower ends of said vertical portions and said lower clamping portions and upper horizontal portions at the upper end of said vertical portions, said upper horizontal portions resting upon a pair of frame members and supporting the radiator-in a spring suspension against vertical jars and against lateral shifting of the frame members, the intermediate portions serving to absorb vertical shocks and the vertical portions serving to absorb horizontal shifting of the frame members, said intermediate portions and said vertical portionsbeing spaced from the radiator and from the water boxto permit springing of said portions. g

2. In combination with. an automobile radiator having a water box, a supporting bracket comprising an upper attaching por-, tion adapted to be securely attached to the frame of the automobile, a lower attaching portion adapted to be clamped to the bottom.

of the water-box of the radiator, and a flat portion between said attaching orthe upper attaching portion and out of contact with the radiator partly horizontally and partly vertically to permit of a spring action, both horizontally and vertically.

3. In combination w th an automobile radiator, a supporting bracket comprising an upper horizontal portion, which is adapted to be secured to the frame of an automobile, a lowerhorizontal portion, which is adapted to be clamped against the bottom of the radiator water box, a vertical portion connected integrally at its upper end with the upper horizontal portion. and a diagonal portion connecting the lower end of the vertical portion, and the lower horizontal portion, said bracket being made of fiat spring material; said vertical portion and said diagonal radiator.

In Witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 26th day of March, A. D. 1919.

J FRED M. OPITZ. 

